It’s been a year since I ran my last half marathon and I’ve only run a handful of times since then. It’s going to take me some time to get back to where I was, but if I did it before, I can do it again, right?
I have found that over the past seven months that I think about running often and I do miss it. I was struggling with burnout before I got sick and I definitely don’t feel that anymore – now I just wish I could run and I-swear-I’ll-never-complain-about-four-miles-again-no-matter-how-burned-out-I-feel. I have found, though, that not only do I miss running, I miss the accomplishment of running. I miss feeling like I did something to take care of myself, better my health, and relieve some stress. My days felt better after running – even after a bad run there was gratification in doing something physical. I miss seeing the numbers – the miles, the time and the calories burned. For me they were markers, indicators that I was in fact taking control of my health and fitness. A couple of times this summer I even wore my Garmin around “in case” I felt okay to run – mind you I was barely walking on my own then, but nevertheless, just in case!
Something wonderful happened this week – I got out and ran. Not for a race, not with a friend, not with a group – just me. And I went out and ran because I wanted to, needed to, and most importantly, felt well enough to. I ran-walked 1.7 miles in 28 minutes. I set the intervals, I ran my old route – the route I always ran when I didn’t know where else to run. I ran until I was tired. It was wonderful. It was peaceful. It was freeing. For a moment, I felt like my “old” self again.
I ran with Sportline SOLO 965 Heart Rate Monitor Watch. I was recently given this watch to review, but wasn’t sure when I would have the chance to use it during a workout. That chance came sooner than I expected with this most recent run, and I couldn’t be happier.
The Sportline SOLO 965, the first fitness device with FitTrac™ and MoveTrac™ technologies and a built-in Calorie Genius (24 hour calorie burn tracking), is designed to track your resting heart rate over time and also record the intensity of movement 24 hours-a-day to show users how they are improving fitness condition and burning calories. Your resting heart rate is important to keep track of. As you become more fit, your resting heart rate should decrease. With the SOLO FitTrac™ technology your resting heart rate readings are auto-saved and the watch keeps a running average so you can actually see your fitness improving.
The best part about the heart rate monitor? NO CHEST BELT REQUIRED! The SOLO monitors your heart rate right from the watch itself.
I never used to take my resting heart rate because I did not want to sleep in the chest belt, believe it or not. I found it very uncomfortable and restricting. With the SOLO, all I have to do is tap the silver FitTrac™ surface on the front of the watch and it calculates my heart rate. It also automatically detected when I began my workout and began keeping track of the time spent working out, miles per hour, distance (or steps), and calories burned. I also noticed it stopped automatically when I paused to let traffic pass before crossing the street.
I like this watch because it is smaller than my Garmin and can be worn as an everyday watch (ladies, I have a men’s watch, but I would recommend the women’s style if you have smaller wrists like me to ensure you get an accurate heart rate reading). And, it keeps track of calories you burn not only during exercise, but during your daily routines as well. Basically, it monitors my fitness even when I am not trying to be fit, which is very encouraging since I haven’t been able to get out and exercise very much.
The SOLO comes with a detailed instruction book and guide to heart rate training, which I found especially helpful. Some additional features include a stopwatch, timer, time, date, alarm, English/Metric settings, and it is water resistant up to 50 meters. You can find all of the detailed product information and more about heart rate training on the Sportline website. Sportline offers a variety of fitness and health products including Heart Rate Monitors, Fitness Gear, Pedometers, Sport Timers, Hydration Equipment and more. Their prices are really reasonable too.The SOLO 965 Heart Rate Monitor Watch is priced at $99.99 and has many of the same features as a high-priced sports watch (without all the hassle), which can easily cost several hundred dollars. The SOLO also comes with a battery and One Year Warranty.
The SOLO is a perfect watch for beginners, especially if you are not quite ready to commit to an expensive piece of equipment that you may not frequently use. It will enable you to run on your own (without a group or a coach) and keep track of mileage and pace as well as give you an idea of how your training – as well as your fitness – is progressing.
Until the next mile marker,
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Please note, I was given this product free of charge to review, in exchange for my honest opinions. I was not compensated in any manor for this review. Thank you to Sportline for the SOLO 965.
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